“Yes,” she said at the exact same time.
I should have poisoned her drink when I had the chance.
“I heard him,” she went on, causing my hand to tighten around the cane. “I heard him say the words.”
Shebuggedthe church? I had to admit, I was impressed that she had the guts to do it, but it didn’t work well in my favor. Why had I said the words? Because it was far more sacred than what Masters had written in his precious book. Because if I was going to make a vow to my wife, I would do it the right way. That precious Claim of theirs was about ownership, andownershipwas what I craved.
“He claimed her and then disappeared. You know what he did to those girls before I got here. What do you think he’ll do to the girl he claimed?”
Uncle dearest found my eyes and raised a brow.
“Words mean nothing,” I said simply.
What was her game? If she wanted to stay with me so terribly, all she had to do was kill him.
Red scoffed. “Words mean nothing? That’s what you’re going with? That’s pathetic even for you, Azrael.”
I kept my eyes on our Uncle, feeling the anger start to build under my skin, and the way his eyes were hardening, I knew he could see it too.
He straightened. “Stay with him, Pops,” he ordered her. “And you,” he went on, his eyes trained solely on mine. “Get rid of her. If she’s not claimed, she’s a liability, one we don’t need. Wherever you have her holed up, end it. I expect a report by the end of the day.”
Well, I certainly couldn’t kill her.
I felt that smile as sharp as my sword. “Very well,” I said chillingly.
“Take Poppy with you. I want a witness.”
“Do you trust me so little, dear Uncle?” I hummed.
“Yes. You’re both dismissed.”
Without a second of hesitation, I turned on my heel and headed out into the empty hall, pulling my phone out within seconds.
Havoc answered. “What?”
“Has Alaric finished making that thing I requested?”
He was quiet a moment. “Yes.”
“Get it ready.”
“Do you want us to wake her up?”
“No, I’ll be there soon.” Them waking her up would only cause her to panic. I could have the chef do it, but I’d rather me be the first face she saw.
“What are you doing, Az?”
“Keep up, Red, you won’t want to miss the show.”
45
Azrael
April 1st, 2023
An assignment that required mass genocide was all I had ever dreamed of four years ago, but now?
Now all I could think about was making sure my so-calledfamilydidn’t take what was mine.
